Original Content Source: Washington (7 News)
Written By: Princess Harrell
A local historically Black university is part of a national effort to diversify the healthcare workforce.
Howard University (HU) is one of three locations for the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) program called “PAthways.” The others are in New York City and Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Only 3.7% of physician assistants (PAs) are Black, according to the latest report from the National Commission on Certification of PAs. The number of certified PAs is growing among minorities, but there is still work to be done.
The program was created by the AAPA to address the racial gap in certified PAs by raising awareness about the profession and providing mentorship at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other minority-serving institutions.
Howard’s program connects minority students and recent graduates with a local physician assistant (PA) mentor to facilitate a smooth transition from college to the workforce. The mentor assists the student in navigating PA school and the profession.
Shumuel Ofosu-Koranteng, an Internal Medicine PA in the DC area, joined 7News at Noon to share his experience attending PA school and the challenges he faced.
Ofosu-Koranteng is one of the mentors in Howard’s PAthways program. One of his mentees is Nia Layne, a junior at Howard. Layne says she only remembers having one Black healthcare provider as a child and hopes to be part of the change.
Layne and Ofosu-Koranteng joined 7News’ Michelle Marsh at Noon to discuss the program and its benefits.
A recent AAPA Harris Poll survey found that 54% of adults prefer healthcare providers with similar backgrounds. This preference is stronger among Black (67%), Asian (66%), and Latino (62%) adults, compared to 49% of white adults.